Carry Your Candle
by Twin Psychos
Summary: SEQUEL TO HOLLY BERRIES AND MISTLETOE! Once again, the BladeBreakers spend Christmas with their female teammmate Tenshi and her friends. But is there trouble in paradise with Tenshi and Kai? Will it ruin Christmas? KaixOC, ReixOC


**Carry Your Candle**

**By Mishi-chan**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, though I do own my OC's, Tenshi Hikari and Spartan. My associates Invisible Love and MuraSakura own Hiniku Shinderu and Sakura Petela. Also, my twin in Twin Psychos owns Kaze Minakotsa. I also do not own the song Meri Kuri by BoA or Carry Your Candle (not sure of author).**

**Note to Readers: This story is merely a work of fiction and unrelated to anything outside of my other works. Any event or character that is like someone or something in real life is purely coincidentally like this and not meant to be anything but fictitious. Thank-you and enjoy the second installment of my Christmas series and third in my Holiday series.**

**Another Note: (1) Zutto Wasurenai- it means "I'll never forget you"

* * *

**

It was a cold, cold morning. An icy wind swept across Japan as the sun rose to shine over the eastern land. The ground was dry and frozen, frost glazing over it. The frost like crystals in the sun's morning glory. It 'twas the week before Christmas and much was to be done. There was a hustle and bustle throughout the Kinomiya dojo in this early morn'. Most people would sleep in on a cold, Saturday morning; then again, most people didn't have plans on a Saturday morning either. Rei plopped down a plate of biscuits and sausage onto the wooden table in the kitchen. Tyson stared hungrily at the food, a hungry glint in his eyes. He scooped up a humongo forkful of sausage… only to have it plucked away from him. Tyson's eyes bulged as the smokin' maple sausage links were stripped from his fork by a certain female teammate of his. Tenshi pinched the sausage from his fork in passing as she hurried throughout the kitchen.

She had long, chestnut hair that was pulled back into a ponytail that morning, her icy-blue bangs still framing the sides of her peach face. Because of the chilling weather, her usual sleeveless was replaced by a white long-sleeved shirt, a blue baby tee shirt over it. The blue shirt bore a winged, yellow star with the usual phoenix on the back. Her legs wore her usual blue camouflage cargos with a lopsided silver belt on her hips. Using her chocolate-drop eyes to scan the room, Tenshi grabbed a biscuit off the table, split it open, put the sausage inside, and took a bite of the sausage biscuit as she struggled to slip into her coat.

" Ok, guys, don't forget my friends are coming today! So, Tyson, clean up the house– "

" Why do I have to clean?! They're your friends!" Tyson interjected hotheadedly, a pout clear on his stuffed cheeks. Tenshi rolled her eyes before glaring agitatedly at her lazy teammate.

"Because I'm busy, it's Saturday, remember? And when Max gets here tell him to help you. Oh! And Rei, don't forget to pick them up at the airport at 2!" Tenshi reminded the neko-jin. Rei glanced away from the eggs on the stove to look at Tenshi with his golden eyes, a small smile on his fanged mouth.

" I'm not going to forget to pick up my own girlfriend, Tenshi. Relax, everything's under control, just leave it up to us!" the Chinese neko-jin reassured his stressed out friend. The chestnut haired female nodded her head in reply and was about to head out the door when Rei's voice stopped her. " Hey, anything you want me to tell Kai?" he asked as she stopped at the doorframe of the kitchen. Looking back, she rolled her eyes with an exasperated smile on her face.

" When he comes in from training, tell him I already went up to the church. Of course, we all know he probably meet me there. Honestly, I don't know what's gotten into him lately."

Rei went back to scrambling the eggs on the skillet, with a smile on his face. " You know he's just like that, especially when it comes to **you**." Tenshi shook her head with a small grin.

" Yeah, but there's something else. I don't know what but– " she looked over at the clock and her chocolate eyes widened in surprise. " Oh shiznit! I've really got to get going, Rei. I'll see you later!" Tenshi yelled as she ran out the door, running backwards for a moment to holler back to him, " Don't forget to pick up the girls!" And with that, Tenshi ran out of the house and down the street. Rei looked back, a weak smile on his eyes as her chestnut ponytail flew out of site.

_If you can't figure this out Tenshi, then your not as smart as I give you credit for…

* * *

_

Tenshi ran down the street hurriedly as the seconds flew by. Taking a sharp turn, she ran towards a small, white building at the end of the street. It had a pair of steps in the front, followed by double white doors with brass knockers. A cross stood strong at the top of the roof, declaring itself to the world.

_3…_

She ran faster than she had ever before. Not again. Not AGAIN!

_2…_

For the past three weeks, Tenshi had been late to practice. Not this week. This week, she would be on time!

_1…_

Flying up the steps of the church, she thrust her hands out to push the doors open at her arrival. But, one problem. The doors… were locked.

_0… _**WHAM!**

Not expecting the doors to be locked, Tenshi flew right into the door, unable to stop herself at the very sudden change of plans. Doing the least she could, Tenshi turned so her back would slam into the wood, not her peach face. Tenshi slid down the door and sat against it in despair and physical pain. But little did she know, there was going to be **another** change in plans. Just as she lay there, her full support on the door, it swung open quite quickly. Once again caught off guard, Tenshi fell back with a yelp, nearly hitting her head on the carpeted interior. Opening her eyes, she glanced to see a tall, skinny young man holding the door open. He had short, slightly curly hair that was a shade of golden brown mixed with auburn. The young man was clad in a short-sleeved shirt covered by an Old Navy jacket and a pair of jeans. Over all, he was a pretty good-looking guy. A pair of Air Forces covered his feet that stood by Tenshi's outspread hair. A smirk slipped across his lips as he looked down at her. " Your late again Tensh!" the curly-haired teen commented, using his long-used nickname for her as he reached out a hand for her. Rolling her eyes with a sigh, Tenshi took his hand and pulled herself to her feet before giving him a light kick in the shin.

" I would've been on time if it weren't for those darn doors! You locked the doors on purpose, didn't you Spartan?" she questioned the teenage boy with a grin. The male, Spartan as he was called, smiled with a certain glint in his eye.

" Now WHY would I do that? Especially to you?" Spartan responded with a trace of sarcasm in his tone that made Tenshi chuckle in mirth.

" Because I know you, Spartan. And you would, without a doubt, do that just to tick me off!" Tenshi laughed as she began to walk down the center aisle of the one-room building, Spartan at her side.

" Of course! What are best friends for?" The two teens laughed as they reached the stage at the far side of the room. A fairly large group of kids sat on the steps chatting happily one another. Tenshi looked back at Spartan after glancing at the children.

" Are they all here?" she asked while counting the small heads. Spartan inclined his head to respond with a small "Mmhm". Tenshi grinned in spite of herself. All the kids were on time and they could actually start on time for once. " Ok, kids! You ready to start practice?" Most of the children nodded vigorously and shouted "yes", but some shook their heads and rolled their eyes. " If not… TOO BAD!" The majority of kids chuckled at her response to the negativity in the room. Tenshi clapped her hands and beamed at the smaller beings. " Let's get started now! We'll take it from the top, so everybody, stand up! C'mon! Look alive people!"

The door to the church swung open slightly to reveal the arrival of a certain blue-haired Russian. Kai took a seat at the end of the last bench in the back of the room, his white scarf trailing behind him. Tenshi looked back to see him sit him down, his usual emotionless features on his face. She waved to him from up front and blew him a kiss before rounding on the children as they "ooed" and "awwed". A smirk slipped across Kai's lips as he watched her scold the munchkins, a small trace of a blush on her innocent face. Then he glanced at the young man at her side who was laughing along with children. Spartan. There was something about him Kai just didn't like. The way he was always at Tenshi's side during practice. The way he acted so aloof around her. Heck, even the way he looked at her ticked him off. He watched as Tenshi punched him in the arm before commanding him to turn on the music for practice. As Tenshi began to direct the singing children, Spartan stole a look back at Kai with a calm, seemingly friendly smile on his lips. Of course, Kai felt something else hidden beneath the smile. One thing was for sure: this was going to be a very LONG weekend.

* * *

That afternoon, Rei sat in the airport lobby. As he had reassured, Rei was there to pick up Tenshi's friends at the airport. Once again, they were spending the holidays all together. Last Christmas, the BladeBreakers had flown all the way to the U.S. to spend the week with her friends, not knowing anything about them. If he had known he would fall madly in love with her temperamental friend, Sakura, Rei would've flown over there sooner! Of course, all of them were a bit different back then. It's hard to believe it's only been a year since last Christmas. Back then, they only went to the U.S. to get out training, meet Tenshi's friends, and hopefully not get killed by them. Now Rei had a long-distance girlfriend, Tyson actually realized his feelings for the team's unofficial cheerleader, Hilary, and Kai finally figured what hormones are. An announcer came onto the intercom, broadcasting the arrival of flight 108 from the U.S. of A. Rei looked down at the little slip of paper in his hand. Yep, that was the flight he had been waiting for. He went over to the terminal and stood there as he awaited the small group of teenage girls. And although he knew it was coming, it still caught him off guard every time.

Seemingly out of nowhere in the sea of people, an over-zealous African-American female burst out of the pack and leapt into Rei's unsuspecting arms. She latched her arms around his torso on impact and held on tight. " REI-KUN!!" she shouted harmoniously as she hugged her boyfriend. The female, Sakura was her name, was wearing a purple shirt with black tiger stripes that had one long sleeve and another sleeve that left her upper arm bare. Her black pants hugged her hips, the chains that hung from her belt loops jingling in merriment. She wore a pair of black Etnies with a purple "E" on them, though her baggy pants covered part of the shoes, a crouching tiger on one pants leg. Rei enveloped her into his arms for a moment before releasing her. Sakura then stepped back to look up into Rei's golden orbs as he stared down into her own cocoa eyes. It was apparent that her dark chocolate hair had grown slightly since he had last seen her on Halloween, now down a little past her shoulder blades, her cherry bangs still framing the sides of her face. Sakura reached up onto her tippy-toes and gave Rei a peck on the cheek, her grin becoming infectious as the grin on his own face widened in joy. He returned the kiss before regaining his calm composure.

" Did you have a good flight here, Sakura?" the neko-jin asked her as she put her bags onto the ground beside her. She shrugged.

" It was ok, I guess. How much fun could a gazillion-hour flight to Japan be when I can't use my CD player and my only company is a bunch of idiots?" Sakura replied with a tone just oozed sarcasm.

" HEY! WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT?" a voice cried out from behind the reunited couple, causing Sakura to smirk. She turned to see her companions trot up to her with their bags in hand, one a little taller than the other. " Aren't YOU the one who thought the plane food was alive and going to eat YOU?" her shorter friend claimed, crossing her arms across her chest. She was only an inch shorter than the rest of them, her Korean ethnicity showing through. Her usual jet-black hair had now been colored a milky brown, her silver and gold highlights still apparent. A black jacket covered her white camisole and a yin-yang emblem was printed on each sleeve. A pair of midnight cargos that covered the tops of her black and white Chuck Taylor's covered her petite legs. Sakura glanced sheepishly at Rei, then back at the Korean.

" Oh, yeah, that would be me," she started before her internal mood swings kicked in again, " But I told you, Hiniku! That "thing" moved! MOVED! I thought I was a goner!" The Korean, Hiniku, shook her sadly with a sigh, muttering something along the lines of " Why am I associated to such retards?" Sakura growled in response, provoking a giggle from their quieter, much CALMER friend, Kaze. Kaze wore a pair of green camouflage pants and a matching beige shirt that said " On A Mission!". A black trench coat of a sweater-like texture was draped over her shoulders. Midnight hair cascaded down her back in a braid, starlit streaks glittering much like tinsel on a Christmas tree. She set her own baggage down next to her feet, which bore a pair of solid black Adidas.

" Now, now, I thought this was Christmas time? You know, the time of THANKS and PEACEFUL fellowship with FRIENDS?" Kaze pointed out, a smile on her tan face. Sakura stopped her angry rampage towards Hiniku with a huff as she crossed her arms.

" Fine! But when Christmas is over…" Sakura spared a glance at a confident Hiniku, " You're goin' down!" The Korean just smirked and poked her tongue out at her temperamental friend. Just as she was about to lunge at Hiniku, a strong, muscular arm reached out and stopped her. Sakura whipped around only to be nose to nose with Rei.

" C'mon, that's enough for now, Sakura-chan," he whispered gently to her with his fanged smile. Sakura felt a blush flame up onto her cheeks. Rei then stepped back and picked up her bag. " All right, now that everyone's here, let's get moving. Maybe if we hurry, we can beat Tenshi and Kai back to the house!' He said as he led the group out of the terminal and to the car. After getting all of the luggage packed up tight into the trunk of the rental car and everyone into the car, he pulled out onto the open road. A thought then struck Sakura.

" Hey Rei-kun, where is Tenshi anyway? Usually she would pick us up from the airport," the tiger-like teen inquired, the "peanut gallery" in the back of the car nodding their heads in agreement. Rei smiled as he glanced at the duo through the rearview mirror, and then at his girlfriend in the passenger seat.

" She's directing a Christmas musical at one of the local churches. They had practice today, and with the performance on Christmas Eve in two days, she had to go."

Kaze piped up in the back of the car, " So Kai is helping out? That's… wow."

Rei shook his head, not taking his eyes off the road ahead of him. " No, he's not helping. You're right, that would be a little off to see Kai being patient with a bunch of kids. That'll be the day!" he muttered the last part with a chuckle. A bunch of question started to swim around the car between the trio of females. Hiniku got up from her seat in the back to lean over the seat to look at Rei.

" Then how come he's at the rehearsal? What, is he just watching?" she interrogated the young neko-jin, her eyes mirroring confusion. Rei looked back at her with a smile before turning back to the road.

" Something like that. Apparently an old guy friend of Tenshi's has appeared out of nowhere and is helping out, too. His name goes along the lines of Sparkin, Spitern– "

" SPARTAN!" Sakura cried suddenly. At the sudden shout next to him, Rei swerved the car almost off the road. The two girls in the back seat screamed as they felt the car weave and wobble. After regaining control of the car, he shot a "Give-me-a-break" look at Sakura before continuing.

" Yeah, Spartan. Anyways, apparently they go far back and are **real** friendly, if you catch my drift."

Sakura pounded the bottom of her fist into the palm of her hand in understanding. " So Kai is there to watch him?" Rei nodded. A chorus of "AWWW's" came from the back seat, causing Rei to roll his eyes before smiling again. Sakura dismissed them the wave of a hand before continuing her analysis. " And let me guess, Tenshi didn't get it?"

Once again, Rei nodded his head. " Exactly. We were all out shopping for Christmas when she ran into him. She practically mauled him with hugs when she saw him. I thought Kai was gonna kill him for sure!" Sakura chuckled slightly before frowning.

" Doesn't surprise me. She and Spartan go back to childhood, so they really are **best friends**. They act like her and I do together. They're just so close, people would either think they were siblings or dating. I can understand her being happy to see him and all, I think the last time Tenshi saw Spartan was sometime after her dad's funeral. But I can't believe she doesn't get Kai's response to the situation! Then again, even though they've been going out for a while now, this is Tenshi's one of her first relationships EVER. She's just as oblivious as any other girl. I just hope Spartan isn't dead by the time practice is over. He's a nice guy, not to mention a cutie!" Sakura finished. Rei shot her another look of shock and disbelief. Giggling at his response, she reached over and kissed him on the cheek. " Don't worry Rei-kun, you're the only guy for me!" Reassured, Rei glanced back over at her with his fanged smile. A moment later, they pulled up to the dojo. After dropping off the girls and their bags, Rei left them to go drop off the rental car back at the dealership. Sakura, Hiniku, and Kaze carried their bags to the front door. Kaze rang the doorbell once. Nothing. Twice. No dice. Third time: no sign of life.

" That's IT! I've been stuck on a humongo long flight to get here, then a car-ride where I was shushed; I WANT IN! HE-LLO?!?!?!" Hiniku ranted as she began to pound on the door furiously. Fed up with waiting, Sakura began to pound as well as Kaze just stood there shaking her head at the two impatient girls. Suddenly there was a loud yelp from inside the house. The two girls froze, and then put their ears up to the door in unison. Silence. Then…

" SPARTAN!!! YOU BAKA!!"

**WHACK! WHACK!**

" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! HELP ME!!"

" BAAAAAAKAAAAAAA!"

Suddenly, the door flew open and a curly-haired figure flew out at an alarming rate! Not caring who was at the door, he quickly hid behind the three girls, his sapphire eyes revealing the fear that had crept into his soul. Standing in the open doorway was a very enraged Tenshi, her old Kendo-stick clutched in her hands. Tenshi glared at Spartan for a moment before realizing who it was that was at her door. Her chocolate-drop eyes widened and her female mood swings kicked in as a smile leapt unto her features. " You're HERE!" she yelled merrily, hugging the three at the door. Spartan moved over to the side and watched as Tenshi greeted her friends. A chorus of laughter rang through the air as Kai moved from inside the house to lean on the doorframe. Realizing that they were standing outside in the middle of winter, Tenshi ushered Sakura, Hiniku, and Kaze into the house. As they were walking in, Sakura began to question her friend.

" Hey, Tensh, why were you chasing Spartan around anyway?"

Before she could continue, a light bulb went off in Tenshi's head. Glaring at Spartan, who was trailing behind the others, she shot him one look before slamming the door in his face. She dead-bolted the door, and as she walked into the living room with the others, Spartan's shouts of protest rang from outside. Yet Tenshi remained unfazed, a grin on her placid face. Kaze raised an eyebrow at Tenshi's erratic behavior.

" Uh, why did you just lock Spartan out of the house?" the questioning teen asked, confusion misting over her silver eyes. Tenshi glanced back at her before laughing nervously.

" Well, you see… about that…" Tenshi began with hesitance; " I invited Spartan over to the house after practice for lunch and, well, me being busy bee, fell asleep as soon as we got home. Fifteen minutes later, I wake up to smell something BURNING in the kitchen." Tenshi's eyes glowed with aggravation, a small vein pulsing on her head. " So when I'm worried the house was on fire, I run into the kitchen only to find SPARTAN trying to make himself lunch. Wanna know what 'lunch' was?" she asked rhetorically before smiling sarcastically again. " It was a Starburst. In the microwave. On HIGH!" Tenshi suddenly flung her arms up in irritation, a look on her face that was clearly read as "How-Stupid-Can-Spartan-Get?". Kaze and Sakura burst into a fit of laughter and Kai smirked at Spartan's misfortune. However, one voice remained silent. Dead silent.

Hiniku looked Tenshi in the eye and glared very lightly before saying, " What's wrong with that? I'VE done it before!" she exclaimed, once again her voice reaching a decibel that shouldn't even be known to man. Sakura smacked herself in the forehead before shaking it in exasperation.

" Hiniku, and you wonder why we don't like you to cook." Kaze let out a giggle as Hiniku puffed up and began shouting at Sakura, commenting on her "ingenious" cooking skills. Tenshi shook her head with a small smile.

" Okay, enough. It's great to see you guys again!" Tenshi hugged the trio, squeezing the air out of them. " Now grab your bags and I'll lead you to the guest room." As the group trudged out of the room and down the hall, they began to laugh, smile, and reminisce. But of course, all had forgotten about poor Spartan, still standing outside in the frigid, winter air.

" Um, HE-LLO?! I'd like to come in now! Hey guys? Tensh? ANYBODY?!"

* * *

The evening soon descended upon the group and before long, the girls went to their room for the night. Tenshi, already staying in the room, plopped down on her futon as Sakura, Kaze, and Hiniku unrolled their own blankets and such. " Oh my gosh! I'm so tired!" Tenshi yawned as Sakura plopped down next to her on her own futon. " Darn those munchkins and their small brain capacities!" A shout of protest was heard from across the room from Hiniku, causing Sakura to smirk.

" Oh, c'mon. You know you love those kids!"

" Yeah, I know. But that doesn't that their not munchkins!" Tenshi responded with a smile. Sakura smiled again as Kaze and Hiniku fell down onto their futons on the other side of her. Almost instantly snores were heard from the two girls. _Jet lag_, Sakura thought before looking back and watching Tenshi walked over and turned off the light. Climbing back under her covers, she could still faintly see the outline of a grin on Tenshi's face. The cocoa-skinned female rolled onto her side to directly face her best friend.

" You're really happy to see Spartan again, ne?" she inquired with a grin of her own. Tenshi nodded her head.

" Heck yeah! I didn't exactly depart from him on the best of terms, ya know. And now he shows up in Japan! It's almost as if he never left, yet the happiness of having him back is just so… I can't explain it!" Tenshi answered, her tone full of bliss and disbelief. Sakura continued to smile, though the ghost of woe flittered across her eyes.

" Do the guys know why and how you left Japan?"

Tenshi shook her head "no" with a small sigh.

" …Does Kai know?"

That was the ringer. A look of guilt swept across her eyes as her smile flipped upside-down. " …No. I haven't told him. I want to, but with Spartan showing up, I just… can't." The words escaping her lips held pain. Her lips then quirked back into a smile. " But someday I will! Just not now. It's almost Christmas! I don't have time for any drama!" Tenshi perked back up. Sakura shook her head. There she went again. Keeping her emotions hidden. She may be more sociable, but there's one way Tenshi was just like her boyfriend: they both hid their pain behind masks. But, being the listening best friend, Sakura decided not to pry. Wasn't her business. But one thing was for sure: one way or another, the truth was coming out. _Look at you, getting yourself all worked up! Just chillax! It's time for a vacation, so enjoy yourself!_ Sakura thought to herself. Glancing back at Tenshi, she saw her just about to fall asleep.

" So what's the plan for tomorrow?"

Tenshi beamed in the midst of the dark room. " Tomorrow we put up the decorations. Did you ship **_it_**?" Tenshi questioned with a raised brow. Sakura nodded mischievously, becoming infectious as Tenshi began to smirk. " Good. Then **_it_** should arrive tomorrow. I can't wait!" Tenshi glanced at her alarm clock, " Well, we better get to sleep. 'Night Saku-chan!" she chirped as she put on her headphones. _Figures_, the African-American female grinned. Tenshi never could sleep well without music. It was just part of her soul. Sakura glanced out the windows to gaze upon the almost full moon; BoA's new single "Winter Love" softly floating through the room as the serenity softly lulled Sakura to sleep. (1)

_Zutto Wasurenai…_

* * *

The next morning came bright and early. Tenshi awoke slowly with the sun, rising up and stretching her arms from sleep. Silently, the icy-blue banged teen slipped out of bed and opened the shoji door of her room. She tiptoed out the door and onto the deck of the traditional home. A slight breeze chilled her bare arms, as she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and blue flannel pants. Closing the door behind her, Tenshi stepped down the wooden walkway. The sun shined bright overhead. As she neared the backyard, a whirring sound of a blade echoed from ahead. Walking cautiously around the corner, the teenaged female glanced to see none other than Kai. A fire burned in his eyes as he determinedly focused on his blade. Caught in his trance, it became apparent that Kai hadn't heard her footsteps. _Perfect_, Tenshi thought. Ever so quietly, Tenshi slinked up behind him. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his torso while chirping, " Morning!" And alarmed look flickered briefly on his features as he whipped his head around to view the assailant. Lo and behold, the smiling face of his little angel beamed back at him. Kai released a breath he didn't realize he had even been holding. The Russian twisted in her arms to face her, a smirk snaking across his lips.

" Morning to you too," Kai whispered in her ear before kissing her gently on the forehead. Tenshi giggled as Kai withdrew from her embrace, looking around him to see Dranzer still spinning like there was no tomorrow, and then glancing back Kai. " It's Christmas Eve! Couldn't you just take one day off from training? Today we're putting up the decorations; you wouldn't want me to get hurt would you?" she complained softly, staring at Kai with eyes full of affliction. That was all it took. _Bingo!_ Tenshi's mind screamed as she saw Kai sigh and run his hand through his spiky hair.

" Fine, but just for today –"

" And tomorrow!" the chocolate-eyed female interjected, " You have to take off Christmas too!" Kai sighed again before smirking back at her.

" And tomorrow. I can't take too much time off, though –"

" THANK-YOU!" Tenshi exclaimed as she flung herself to embrace Kai again. Kai secretly smiled as he held her in his arms, running one hand in her hair. As long as she was happy, so was he. Or so he thought…

" Oh, I'm sorry! Am I interrupted something?" a familiar voice said from the sidelines. Kai frowned as Tenshi looked over to see Spartan standing on the deck. " Grandpa let me in."

Tenshi smiled back at him. " No, it's fine," she replied before turning back to Kai, " I invited him to help with the decorations, is that all right?" Kai just grunted before leaving the two of them outside. Tenshi sighed as she ran her hand through her bed-head mane, smiling weakly back at Spartan. " I'm sorry, he's always anti-social. He's not that bad once you get to know him!" She apologized as she walked over to him. He smirked knowingly at her.

" So I **_see_**!" He commented tauntingly. Tenshi gasped and punched him in the arm.

" Shut-UP!" she yelled with a blush. He laughed as she began a barrage of punches on his arm. Spartan ran inside the building, an irritated Tenshi hot on his heels…

* * *

**Ding! Dong!**

The doorbell rang throughout the traditional home. It was now about one o'clock and they had finally succeeded in awaking Tyson from his slumber. Two words: chili peppers. So after a hilarious event full of laughter and humiliation from a certain teammate, Tenshi ran to catch the door. Signing off on a piece of paper, she dragged a rather large package into the house. Tenshi smiled as she looked at the box, Kaze, Hiniku, and Sakura smirking as well. Tyson looked anxiously at the box. " What IS it?" he questioned, still fanning his rather burnt tongue.

" I think you all will remember my little friend…" Tenshi said as she tore open the box. Paper and packing peanuts flew about in a storm, settling to reveal the nightmares of all! The group of boys gasped and stared wide-eyed at the package (except Kai, who just glared at it).

" NO! It can't be! It's… it's…!" Spartan stuttered as Tenshi nodded her head slowly.

" Yes! It's… the SANTA CLAUSE!" she exclaimed. The jolly, ol' figure in red sat in front of them. No one could forget him, no one! After all the time it took last year to get it on the roof, not to mention getting it situated firmly without anyone falling off the roof again… it really was back! And with a vengeance. The girls smirked and Tenshi walked over and leaned an elbow on Spartan's shoulder. " You remember you old buddy Santa, don't you Spartan?" she questioned in an innocent tone, secretly embedded with malevolence. Spartan slowly turned to face her, his face as white as a ghost.

" How could I forget? After all, you PUSHED ME OFF THE ROOF PUTTING THAT THING UP!!" Spartan scowled as he rounded upon Tenshi, who in return, took a step back.

" Hey, YOU were the one who was in MY way! I asked you to move, you wouldn't move. How else could I justify my actions?" Tenshi shrugged, her chocolate hair falling off her shoulders. The others began to laugh as they continued to quarrel; Kai just watched the two out of the corner of his eye. He stared as Tenshi began to laugh at Spartan, but then, his mind went into overdrive. As Tenshi laughed uncontrollably, Spartan lunged at her in slight annoyance.

" That's it! Come here you little –"

" Back OFF!" a low voice growled.

In the blink of an eye, there was Kai, standing protectively between a wide-eyed Tenshi and a shocked Spartan. The Russian glared down at Spartan, who was only a couple inches shorter than him, an irate aura surrounding him. A peach hand touched Kai's arm from behind. " Kai? Kai-kun, we were just kidding around. Kai?" Tenshi whispered softly, still in a state of shock. She, as well as the rest of the team, had hardly ever seen Kai so… ticked! It was almost like the Apocalypse… or Armageddon! Spartan stepped back a step glared back at Kai, never one to back down.

" Yeah, it was joke. Do you even know what that is?" he retorted heatedly. No one threatened Spartan and got off the hook so easily. Kai glared more darkly as he took another step toward Spartan, now only a few inches apart. Some bad ju-ju-bagumbo was going down. Tenshi stepped in between the two boys and pushed them apart; she was getting a little aggravated herself.

" YO, GUYS! Cut. It. OUT!" Tenshi commanded from in-between the boys. Spartan look away with a pout and Kai continued to glare at him. Tenshi sighed before continuing, " It's CHRISTMAS EVE!! I don't want any more fighting, yelling, or violence, unless it's from ME! So you two better COOL IT before I kick both your butts!" Spartan smiled after sighing, looking back at Tenshi.

" Fine, fine! You win! Just take a chill pill!" Spartan surrendered, not only to Tenshi, but also to his own amusement as he burst into a fit of laughter. Tenshi put a hand on her hip and stared skeptically at him. " I'm sorry, you just act so spastic when you're angry! It's hilarious!" he laughed, holding his stomach. Tenshi glared at him before silencing him with a blow to the head. A ripple of laughter echoed through the room as the festivities continued. With one last, unnoticed glare, Kai exited from the room with a turn of his heel. Tenshi began to appoint certain jobs to each member of the party.

" Ok, Rei and Sakura: you can do the annual baking of the sweets! Just make sure you don't get flour or something everywhere!" Rei nodded as Sakura laughed sheepishly, knowing all to well that was directed at her. " Tyson and Max: you get to go out and get the tree!" Just Tyson was about to bolt happily for the door, Tenshi called out to him, " Oh, and Tyson? If you mess up our tree, I personally see to it that you have a very short life!" Tyson gulped and bolted, Max soon following in his footsteps in a fit of laughter. Smiling, the icy-blue banged teen looked over at her other friends. " Kaze and Hiniku: you get to decorate the inside of the house! Wreaths, stockings, the whole kitten-caboodle! It's up to you!" Hiniku yelped happily as she began to bounce around like a kid in a candy store; Kaze smiled as well, her joy much more contained. Tenshi then lastly glanced at Spartan, a smirk on her face. " Lastly, you, Kai, and I get to do the outside décor! Including… THE SANTA CLAUSE!" Spartan flinched noticeably, but suddenly, Tenshi began to glance wildly about the room. " Kai? Where **is** Kai?" the female BladeBreaker asked, a tint of worry in her voice. Spartan put a hand on her shoulder.

" Don't worry; I'm sure your boyfriend is fine! Let's get going, we've got a lot of work to do!" the young man assured her before taking her arm and leading her out of the building. As she was dragged away, Tenshi glanced around again, a slight tint of concern in her chestnut orbs. _Kai…

* * *

_

" Pass the flour," Rei asked Sakura, holding out his hand for the cup of flour. Noticing he wasn't even looking at her, Sakura turned and looked at the ingredients. _Flour, flour, flour! Ah HA!_ She thought as she scanned the pile of label-less items. In the corner of her eye, the tiger-like teen spotted a bag full of a white, grainy substance. _Flour's white! Here we go!_ Scooping a cup of it, she proudly handed it to Rei, who just dumped it into the bowl while looking at the recipe, not even glancing at what she had handed him. He then turned and smiled at her, his fangs showing through. " Ok, it's time to mix it Sakura!" He moved to the side to allow Sakura access to the delicious mixture. Grabbing the nearest spoon, she stuck it into the bowl and began to stir the concoction… or at least, attempting to stir. It looked more like drawing a line across the mix with a spoon. Rei shook his head lightly with a chuckle. The neko-jin then wrapped his arms around Sakura from behind and put his head on her shoulder, taking her hands in his while helping her stir. Sakura felt a blush flame up on her cheeks as Rei's muscular arms were pressed against her own, his spiky hair tickling her neck (as her hair was up). The next few moments flew by in silence, not a tense one, but one of peace, bliss. All of the sudden, a loud **THUMP!** resounded through the house, the source seeming to be outside. Sakura smirked and looked back at her boyfriend.

" Ya hear that? I think Santa's getting put up!"

Rei smiled sweetly back at her after giving her a quick peck on the lips. " From the sounds of it, that sounds just about right!"

Meanwhile outside…

" OI! Tensh! Come over and help me with this thing!" Spartan called over to the female blader, who was busily stringing lights across the gutters. She rolled her eyes as she stood up slowly, careful not to fall. She'd taken Martial Arts, and they teach how to fall, but not how prevent breaking bones after falling a few feet above the ground. Stepping steadily over to the strained Spartan, he released a grunt of exertion. " JEEZ! I'm telling you Tensh, Santa's gained a few pounds since I last saw him!" Tenshi let out a giggle before grabbing a hold of the rope that was pulling up dear ol' St. Nick.

" Maybe, or you could have lost some muscle since last time!" she grunted as she strained to pull up Santa from behind Spartan. A few moments later, Santa was situated up on the rooftop of the dojo for the whole world to see. Spartan let a whistle.

" A job well done team! A very good job!" he congratulated as he took a step away to get a better look. Abruptly, a shingle of the traditional building came loose, slipping from beneath his feet. Spartan let out a gasp as he fell backwards. It was all like it was in slow motion. Spartan falling backwards towards the edge. Tenshi reaching out and pulling him away from it. Tenshi then falling off herself from the force of pulling Spartan. All Tenshi could hear as she fell off the roof was Spartan yelling after her descending form. She scrunched her eyes closed as she waited for impact. But then, to her surprise, there was none. Instead, there was strong, muscular arms gripping onto her trembling body. Opening one eye, Tenshi looked up to see Kai's crimson eyes staring back at her. She smiled weakly as a soft giggle escaped her lips.

" This is becoming a tradition, isn't it? Someone falls off the roof, you catch them… and here I thought it wouldn't be me." Her chestnut-orbs bore into his own; although she could see some hint of relief in his eyes, there was also a hint of… anger? Kai turned away from her quizzical gaze to glare upwards. Tenshi followed his gaze to see Spartan's face leaning over the edge, calling out to her. Looking back at Kai, she thought for sure for a second she heard a low growl escape his own lips. Almost reluctantly, he set her back on the ground as Spartan climbed down from the roof and ran over to them.

" Tensh! You're ok! I thought for sure you were a goner –OOF!" Only a second after beginning to speak was Spartan pushed back by a might force. Stumbling backwards into the nearest tree, he was lifted up by his collar a moment later, Kai's face in his.

" You were up there with her! YOU should've made sure SHE was safe!" Kai barked, his insides boiling. It was official: Kai had snapped! Spartan glared back at him.

" Oh yeah? You were supposed be up there with us, but was it you who helped her out up there? Oh no, my mistake! YOU decided go emo and disappear!"

Kai pushed him farther into the tree, the resentment growing within him with every word Spartan spoke. " Don't even try to understand me!" he growled, continuing in a low tone, " You have **no idea** what she means to me!"

" Then don't think you're the only one who cares about her!" Spartan spat back in his face, shoving the Russian off of him. Just as Kai opened his lips again, a cry cut him short.

" Shut-UP! Shut-up, shut-up, SHUT-UP!" Tenshi cried out, the pain obvious in her voice. Both of the boys were silenced as they looked back over to Tenshi. She was trembling from head to toe, a glare directed at them and tears brimming her eyes. A pang of guilt struck Kai's heart as he saw her appearance. Of course, being the ones to have horrible timing, Tyson and Max rounded the corner with the tree before freezing in their tracks. They could tell something wasn't right. Tenshi panted from her outburst, preparing herself to yell. " Both of you shut-up! I can't TAKE any more! You may think it's between you two, but other people surrounding you care, and it HURTS! You know that? It HURTS! It's Christmas, I wanted to spend it with the people I love, and look at you two! I can't stand any more of this! I CAN'T!" Tenshi yelled as the tears in her eyes threatened to overflow. Spartan reached out a hand towards her.

" Tensh…–"

" Don't! Don't you even DARE to sweet-talk out of this. Just… stay away from me! Just STAY!" Tenshi shouted as she turned and sprinted past Tyson and Max. Spartan looked away to the ground, anger in his eyes. Meanwhile Kai just stared emptily where Tenshi just ran off. She was mad, no, enraged by him. By what HE had done. He could have just let it slide; he didn't have to take it out on Spartan. And just like she had said, it **hurt**. Tyson and Max looked at each other before walking inside the dojo with the tree, ushering everyone else back into the house, as they had heard yelling and come out. Without another word, Kai began in the direction Tenshi went off in when another voice stopped him.

" Didn't you hear her, Kai? She wants to be alone." Spartan's voice steadied as he saw Kai look back at him. " She's obviously ticked off. Give her time to cool and she'll come back. Just right now, give her **time**." Kai's gaze on the younger man hardened at those words.

" And if you really knew Tenshi, then you would know that's not what she **really **wants. And, unlike, if I want something, I go after it. I don't wait for it to come back to me; for all you know, it **won't**." And with those parting words, Kai sped off in the other direction, deserting a puzzled Spartan.

_After all these years, how well do I really know Tensh…?

* * *

_

Darkness had long ago enveloped the country as Kai ran anxiously through the town. He had gone practically everywhere he could think Tenshi would go. He'd gone to the park, the coffee shop, the Martial Arts dojo, the river. She was nowhere to be found and Kai had almost lost all hope. _Maybe she's gone, maybe she went back for her bags and left…_Kai quickly shook those thoughts away as he continued to call out her name through the empty streets. She wouldn't leave. She **couldn't** leave. He rounded another street corner and froze. The one place he hadn't looked and it was right under his nose the whole time. Kai steadily headed up the steps of the small, white Church. Slowly and silently, he pushed the door open a crack wide enough for him to slip through. Sure enough there she was. Tenshi's shoulders shook slightly as her tears flowed like waterfalls of anguish, her body facing the front of the pulpit where a cross stood firm. Her sobbing, but steady voice rang like a crystal bells in the near-empty room. He recognized the song, hearing her play it from time to time at night.

" _Doko ka de tsurai koto ya sabishisa ni butsukatte mo, _

_kimi omou kono kimochi ni shoujiki de iru to chikau yo. _

_(Lonely, despair and hardships ahead,_

_The cold winter wind had become the warm, warm spring,_

_The first snow left me feeling alone,_

_But I didn't cry, I just kept on smiling true…)"_

She stopped and looked down at the ground, wrapping her arms around herself as the crystalline tears dried onto her face. " I can't go on like this; I can't smile through this and pretend it isn't happening. I thought I could; I thought I could combine both worlds. I guess not…" Tenshi trailed off, fighting off the tears that bore down her heavy heart. That was it. Kai had heard enough. Coming up behind her, he pulled her to him; holding her tight with a sensation of not wanting to ever let go again. He could hear her gasp in surprise as his arms enveloped her. She said nothing, just continued to look away from his face. Kai leaned his head forward, whispering into her ear. " Tenshi… please come back home. Everyone's worried about you –"

" No!" she muttered firmly; feeling his breath on her right ear, Tenshi looked down to the left. Kai frowned. He held her tighter, scrunching his eyes.

" Please, come back… Ten…" he whispered. Tenshi's eyes widened and Kai could feel her body stiffen. That was the first time he had **ever** called her by anything besides Tenshi. He saw this as improvement, so Kai continued, knowing full well where this was going to lead for him. But he didn't care; he just kept going. " Please, everyone's worried. Sakura's worried, the team's worried, Spartan's worried…–"

" Were **you** worried?" Tenshi interjected. The question lingered out there, the silence almost killing her. Hearing nothing, she sighed as more tears silently flowed from her dull, void eyes. At what he said next, nothing could have prepared her for.

" …yes …" Kai began quietly. Tenshi felt her heart freeze for a moment. She had to be dreaming, or maybe having a nightmare in light of the day's events. " Ten, I was worried. When I couldn't find you, I thought…" he didn't like disclosing such personal thoughts, but it this way or no way. He had to have her back. " …I thought you had left; for good. I thought you had left, that you were never going to come back. But I couldn't think that; I wouldn't. So much pain… I couldn't bear to go through it again. Losing someone you care about is just too much. I've already lost my family, I've deserted my team more times than Tyson can count, and they forgive me. They are amazing friends. But if you left… if you left forever, I don't know if they would be enough." A wistful smile tugged at Tenshi's lips.

" So that's it, huh? You just want me back now because what you have **now** isn't enough? All because you '**care**'?" she asked him, the woe filling in the depths of her heart. Kai tensed before hugging her tighter once more, pushing his face so far that they were practically cheek-to-cheek.

" No, not because of that. Because… because… I… I lo-…I **love** you!" He stuttered. This was it. She would either reject him forever or not. Tenshi's heart skipped a beat before pumping wildly; her breath quickened. Pulling herself out of Kai's arms, Tenshi whipped around to face Kai, her eyes wide with bewilderment. She stared up into his crimson eyes. Just by looking in Kai's eyes, she could read him at times. And at this very moment, all she could was **sincerity**. And for the first time, Tenshi was left speechless. Guilt flowed through her veins and she looked away, closing her eyes as if to block out the pain. A wave of anguish struck Kai's heart as more tears flowed from her eyes. Slowly, she looked back at him, affliction filling every tear.

" Kai… I haven't been honest with you…" she whimpered quietly, " Spartan and I… we weren't just friends… Back after my dad was k-killed… we started dating." Kai inhaled a sharp breath, shock seemingly in the air. She lowered her eyes. " After my dad's funeral, and my family's disappearance, he helped me out a lot. Chores, bills, groceries. Any way he could help, he did. And what I thought was love back then was for him. But one day… one day…" She started to stumble, her voice started to tremble and Kai could only watch as she fell apart in front of him. " One day… when I was going to meet him at the coffee shop…" her face grimaced at the memory, " I saw him in the shop already, but as I neared the shop, I saw someone else. To this day, I still don't know who it was, but all of the sudden, she learned over the table and kissed him. Not just kiss, but practically eat his face off. When she pulled away, then he saw me. All I could see was the guilt, the shame on his face as I ran off. He called me afterwards, messaged me, whatever he could to contact me, saying he didn't have anything to do with her, that he didn't want her to do that; that she did it, not him. I never answered. Still dealing with the death of my dad, loss of my mom and brother, and then **that**… I did what my heart called me to do. I ran. I ran away. I packed my bags and left. My home, my friends, everything. That's really how I got here. Because I ran." Tears freely flowed from eyes, and she did nothing to wipe them away. Kai looked down before resting his gaze back upon her.

" Then why… WHY did you ask him to be with us? Why did you hug him after all that?" Kai paused before continuing. " You… still love him?" A weak smile tugged at Tenshi's lips as she shook her head "no".

" No. I don't love him… like that. He was like a brother all that time; I just failed to realize it. And why did I forgive him?" she thought to herself for a moment before looking Kai in the eye. " Because I finally realized I missed him as a **friend**, nothing more, nothing less. He was the best friend anyone could ask for, and I wanted that back. Because I found out what love **really** was, that I actually, truly **loved** someone else." She finished with a small smile, the tears still outlining her face. " I… I… oh, I've never been good at this. I **love you!**" She cried out. Kai's heart skipped another beat. After the fight, after Spartan, after all the pain, it was finally out. And he couldn't believe it. Sure, this was a kind of big secret. Sure, they would talk about it more later. But all that mattered right now is this. She actually loved him. **HIM**. And that was the best feeling in the world. Stepping over to her, as he reached down to her, she lifted her face up to his. His arms wrapped tight around her waist as he kissed her, her arms wrapping gently around his neck. Tenshi's spine tickled. This is what it was like to be really, truly in love. And did she love it! Due to lack of breath, their lips parted, their foreheads still touching. Kai looked down at her.

" So, ready to go home now? If we hurry, we can still trim the tree before we come back for the Christmas Pageant," he asked. She looked up to him and pecked him on the lips.

" Yes I am!" And then, a miracle struck again. Kai's eyes softened as he smiled, not smirked, but smiled back at her. Kai doesn't smile, but this was one of those million-dollar moments. And it was all for her. Taking her hand in his, Kai led her out of the building. As they stepped out of the building, small white pieces of fluff began to drift from the heavens. The snow had already begun to pile up outside as they walked down the street, hand-in-hand, heart-in-heart.

* * *

" Where are they?! It's snowing outside and they're nowhere to be found!" Sakura ranted back at the dojo as she paced to and fro. Hiniku watched the clock,; Kaze sat next to her, long since given up on consoling their frantic, African-American friend. The boys, excluding Spartan, exchanged looks again for the fifth time in the past ten minutes. Spartan, however, sat on the back deck, watching the snow fall to the ground. Suddenly, he heard a cry from the living room. Standing and whipping his head around, he watched as Sakura enveloped a familiar figure into a giganto hug of sorts… if you call knocking someone to the ground a "hug". He could hear Tenshi's laughter ring through the room as the group of girls dog piled on top of her. Glancing next to where she used to be standing, Spartan saw Kai standing there calmly, a small smirk on his face and amusement in his eyes. He had done it. Somehow, he had brought Tenshi back, and this made him wonder. How well did he **really** know Tenshi? They'd grown up together, shared good times and bad times, and yet Kai managed to do what couldn't be done. Spartan slowly walked inside, a smile on his face as Kai helped pull Tenshi out of the pile. She smiled back at him, but this time, when she smiled at him, there a certain sparkle in her eye. And there, in that sparkle, was the happiest Tenshi he'd seen in years. Slowly he walked over to them, his gaze unwavering. Tenshi looked up at him and surprisingly, Kai didn't glare at him. Just stared. He could feel everyone's gaze upon him as he began to speak.

" Look, Tensh, I'm sorry about earlier. I should've been more careful. And I'm sorry, Kai, for the past few weeks. The "big brother" was acting up again!" he apologized, a goofy grin on his face. Tenshi shook her head and waved it away.

" No problem! You're forgiven." Tenshi said, smiling at him. And all was as it was supposed to be. Spartan: the best friend/big brother. Kai: the totally hot and perfect boyfriend. Everything was finally right in the world. Well, except world hunger, global warming, civil wars, world wars, slavery, and overpopulation. But that can come later. For now, for the first time in years, Tenshi's life was almost normal. " C'mon! Let's trim that tree!!"

* * *

Later that evening, everyone was back at the church. After weeks of practicing and rehearsing, it was finally time for the final performance. Taking a seat in the audience next to Kai, Tenshi watched as Spartan began to direct the kids, a smile on his lips. In unison, the children began to sing. No grumbling, no howling, the group just sang. They sang with all their hearts for their Lord Jesus. It was amazing to see how much they had changed since the first practice. Tenshi smiled as the children acted, pretending to go door-to-door caroling. It was like a dream come true. It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening. Tenshi giggled at the thought of trimming the tree earlier, how Tyson almost ate all the popcorn again, how Hiniku got wrapped up in the lights, how Kai had helped her up to put the star on the top of the tree. Even if it had a rough start, this was the Christmas she had wanted, imperfections and all. She felt a nudge in her side, so she turned to look at Kai. " It's remarkable. You did a great job with those kids, Ten," Kai whispered into her ear, as so not to disturb the audience. She nodded, then looked back up on stage. A young boy with messy blonde hair stood up in front of the crowd at the microphone as the next song began. Then he began to sing.

" _There is a candle,_

_In every soul._

_Some brightly burning,_

_Some dark and cold._

_There is a spirit,_

_Who brings a fire,_

_Ignites a candle,_

_And makes His home!"_

The boy stopped singing into the microphone as the whole crowd began to sing along.

"_Carry your candle,_

_Run to the darkness,_

_Seek out the hopeless,_

_Confused and torn._

_And hold out your candle,_

_For all to see it._

_Take your candle,_

_And go light your world!_

_Take your candle,_

_And go light your world!"_

As the boy began to sing another solo, Spartan looked back to crystalline tears glossing over Tenshi's eyes. Kai looked over at her and, noticing her tears, wiped them away. Knowing Tenshi was taken care of, he turned back to the choir. Meanwhile, Tenshi cried silent tears as they slipped down her cheeks. Kai wiped a few tears away, a questioning gaze upon Tenshi. Tenshi smiled and looked up at him. " It's nothing, Kai. You see, my little brother sang that same solo once before he disappeared. And seeing a little blonde up there singing it again… It's almost like seeing my brother." Kai wrapped his arm around her shoulders and Tenshi leaned into his shoulder, a smile on her lips. This definitely was as Christmas to remember!

_Carry your candle…_

The next morning, Tenshi awoke slowly in a daze. She grabbed her alarm clock and just stared at it for a moment. 12/25… After a moment, everything clicked in her totally sluggish mind. " Christmas! It's CHRISTMAS!" She shouted as she pounced on her friends' futons one by one, awaking them from their slumber. After they were well awake, Tenshi ran out of the room and down the hall.

_Run to the darkness…_

Running into the boys' room, she began to shout joyously. "Wake up, guys!! It's CHRISTMAS!!" She shouted throughout the room. Max and Rei woke up as soon as she had entered. Running over to Tyson, who as still sleeping, Tenshi began to kick him awake, much to the amusement of the rest of the guys and the girls, who had just entered the room. After Tyson groaned himself awake, Tenshi hopped over to where Kai lay awake in bed, bending over and kissing him full on the lips.

_Seek out the hopeless…_

" 'Morning sleepy-head!" Tenshi chirped as they're lips parted, " It's Christmas! Get up!" Kai smirked at the smaller girl, running a hand through her chestnut-hair that cascaded off her shoulders in front of him.

" I am awake. You made sure of that," Kai responded to her chirps. He took the strand of hair he had been holding and kissed it gently, causing a blush to arise from her cheeks.

" You're awake, yes. But up, nope! Now c'mon!" She cried as she took his hand led him out of the empty room; the others already had left them.

_Confused and torn…_

The couple walked into the living room. Lo and behold, the beautiful tree. It had seemed that Tyson had actually done something right for once… though he did have Max's help… Tenshi ran over to the humongous pile of presents like a kid in a candy store. After all, there were a lot of people to get presents from. Tenshi plopped down and looked around at her friends. " Shall we began?"

_And hold out your candle…_

And thus it began: the annual ripping and shredding of wrapping paper and boxes. Sakura had turned on the movie _White Christmas_ as they opened their gifts. Although the pile as huge, the presents didn't last long, though some were more memorable than others. Sakura tore open the present from Rei, her eyes glittering like diamonds. It was a box. Suddenly, the contents moved about on its own. Shooting Rei a quizzical look, Sakura slowly opened the box only to gasp and awe at the sight. There in the box, was an adorable little white kitten that bore black stripes almost as if it were a white tiger.

_For all to see it…_

Sakura slowly lifted the kitten out of the box and onto her lap, stroking its soft fur gently. " What are you going to name him?" Rei asked, his smile widening with the glitter in Sakura's eyes.

She looked at him, then back at the kitten as she simply replied, " Driger." A tinge of a blush heated Rei's cheeks before he handed her a green collar with a bell on it, a plaque on it with flowery print.

" I had a feeling about that." Sakura then looked at the collar, which had on it engraved the name "Driger". Overjoyed, she put the collar on the small kitten, then turning to kiss her boyfriend.

_Take your candle…_

Meanwhile, Tenshi had gone through her entire pile. Some new beyblade parts, new slippers, the usual stuff. But nowhere to be found was a present from Kai. Glancing to the side to look at him, her only response was a present in his open hand. Picking it out of his hand, Tenshi kept glancing back and forth between him and the present as she shred the paper.

_And go light your world…_

It was a long, thin box. Giving Kai an inquisitive look, she slowly opened the box. What was in the box took her breath away. There, in the box, was a white choker. There was a small silver band in the center and on each side there was a pair of blue wings. Upon closer inspection, the silver band read _Tenshi_. " Kai… this is beautiful!" she exhaled, her eyes gazing into Kai's crimson orbs. He smirked at her awe.

" Look on the back of it," he commanded, earning another stare. Picking up the choker, Tenshi flipped it over to see an engraving on the other side of the metal. It read simply _To My Angel_.

_Take your candle…_

" Kai…" she trailed off, the pure bliss was like a present to Kai in its own right. Taking the two sides of it, Tenshi slipped it around her neck and locked it. Glancing down at it, she could see it shine and glimmer in the Christmas morning light. She looked at Kai and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him in her joy. " Thank-you SO much!" she chimed. Kai could feel her happiness radiate from her. She was about to pull away when his lips captured hers. The sparkling sensation tingled through her entire being before he pulled away. But even so, he stared straight into her chestnut orbs, as if he could see right through her.

" Tenshi, I love you. And I always will." Kissing her gently on the head, Kai then wrapped his arm around her as she turned so they could watch the movie. For the first time since her family left, Tenshi felt loved. And this time, it wasn't going to end, because Kai wasn't going anywhere. The perfect beginning of a new life… and a new love…

_And go light your world…!

* * *

_

**Hey there everyone! I'm sorry I'm so late on posting this! I was so busy flooded with work before Christmas that I didn't have time to type. . But anywayz, remember: Christ is the real reason we celebrate Christmas (hence the _Christ_mas. And X-mas stands for Christ too because the X was a Greek symbol that stood for Christ. So you can't get out that way either!) But also, love what you've got, and don't hang on to the past for dear life, but always remember. Those memories will be with you and can make you smile again. Hope you all had a merry Christmas and have a happy New Year's! Bewii!**

**Mishi-chan**


End file.
